Saturday, December 30, 2017

"The May 17memoreads like a crash course for a businessman-turned-diplomat, and its conclusion offers a starkly realist vision: that the U.S. should use human rights as a club against its adversaries, like Iran, China and North Korea, while giving a pass to repressive allies like the Philippines, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. “Allies should be treated differently—and better—than adversaries. Otherwise, we end up with more adversaries, and fewer allies,” argued the memo, written by Tillerson’s influential policy aide, Brian Hook."

Thursday, December 28, 2017

“Crown Prince Mohammed is trying to rein in widespread corruption, not discretionary spending by the future king, said Bernard Haykel, professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University. He says Saudis don't consider splashy purchases to be corruption, nor do they typically object to wealthy princes investing in assets with tangible value like overseas property, yachts or artwork. "This is not a guy who is going to Monaco and dropping $100 million on gambling," Haykel told CNBC on Wednesday. "That would be a very different kind of story."” (Thanks Basim)

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

"US-backed Saudi aggression coalition warplanes have damaged 244 schools in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, according to a recent report released by the Education Ministry. The damaged 244 schools are out of 300 total number of schools in Sanaa, according to director of the Education Office in the capital Mohammed Abdullah al-Fadhli."

"Hazan boarded the bus at the Gaza border with video crews in tow. He said on Twitter he told the relatives that the prisoners were "terrorists who belong in the ground." In a video clip on social media, he is seen shouting at one prisoner’s mother that her son was an "insect" and a "dog." "

For how many months have we been reading that a prosecutor is about to file charges against Netanyahu? Can you imagine how different the case would have been if this was some Arab member of the Knesset?

"Even before I arrived in Guatemala, a country mysterious and foreign, I stumbled upon evidence that Israeli fingerprints can be found in many aspects of everyday life in the Central American country." "There is a fascinating collaboration between the Jewish community and the Evangelical community of Guatemala, in support of Israel."

"A family of nine members, including five children, were killed on Monday morning when Saudi-led coalition warplanes hit the family's house five times in Yemen's capital Sanaa, residents and a Xinhua photographer at the scene witnessed. "Father, his wife, two women (who are sisters to the father), and five little children were killed on the spot after their house was hit by five missiles fired from fighter jets of the Saudi-led coalition," Xinhua photographer reported." (thanks Amir)

Imagine in this article, Ben Hubbard lauds Saudi regime "reforms" because there is a female spokesperson for the Saudi embassy in DC. Imagine if you write an article about women in Iran, and you mention that they had a female vice-president, and a female spokesperson for the foreign ministry. That would never happen in US media.

I am glad that part of the Hariri story is out but: 1) there is not much hue and cry over the story that the Lebanese Prime Minister was arrested, abused, and forced to read a resignation statement which was written for him. Can you imagine the reaction if the Syrian or Iranian regimes were to arrest a Lebanese prime minister and force him to read a resignation letter? 2) there is nothing in the New York Times story which was NOT published in Al-Akhbar in Arabic within days after his arrest in Saudi Arabia. The only new detail provided that he was "manhandled". 3) what do you think of a political leader who does not even dare say that he was detained by the Saudi regime and even calls for "excellent relations" between Lebanon and the regime which abused him. He reminds me of his father who used to call for "best" relations with the Syrian regime while privately complaining about the Syrian regime. Political courage is inherited sometimes.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

When right-wing lawyer, Muhammad Mughrabi was summoned by the Lebanese government during the years of Syrian regime domination, Human Rights Watch gave him a freedom award. Notice that when leftists are harassed by the Lebanese government, no Western human rights organization mentions them.

"Anti-Semitic crimes here have slightly increased since the 2015 influx of refugees into the country, even though right-wing extremists are still responsible in the vast majority of cases." I can't believe that the Post put the last part of the sentence in passing. Also, notice that this article they typically conflates expressions against Israel with anti-Semitism. And why is the burning of the Israeli flag considered anti-Semitic when the burning of the Saudi flag (which has Al-Fatihah written on it) is not considered anti-Islam, and should not. Why does Israel always reserve to itself the right to enjoy exclusive political privileges? And look at this claim: "But Deidre Berger, the director of the American Jewish Committee in Berlin, said she believes that flag burning can incite violence against Jews". So if you burn the flags of ISIS or the flags of Arab countries, it means that you are inciting violence against Arabs and Muslims? What absurd claims.

"In a recent autobiography by a commander of the Maoist tendency in the Fatah Movement, the writer recalls his last exchange with the late Arafat in 2000. In the exchange, Mueen Al Taher asked Arafat, "Are you not concerned about the corrupt cronies around you?" Arafat replied, "History will not hold me accountable because of such figures; history will hold me accountable if I lose or reclaim Jerusalem."" (thanks Ihab)

"The U.S. and Britain have been intimately involved in prosecuting the war, supplying weapons, logistical help and diplomatic support to their longtime regional ally Saudi Arabia and its coalition, which also includes the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Sudan. Besides selling weapons to the Saudis, American and British military advisers have provided training and intelligence and the U.S. has helped refuel coalition jets. Saudi airstrikes have repeatedly hit civilian targets — indiscriminate attacks that rights groups say are war crimes — despite sophisticated weaponry and Western intelligence."

"A previous Facebook post written by Munshi said his daughter had been repeatedly bullied by a couple of classmates because she was Muslim. The post said the girl decided she wanted to resolve the feud and went to talk to the girls wearing an anti-bullying t-shirt and was instead brutally beaten, according to the post. Video shows the victim getting kicked to the ground as she holds her hands over her head and face as punching ensues."

"At a 2015 conference hosted by the pro-Islamaphobia David Horowitz Freedom Center, Hoekstra made false claims that some parts of the Netherlands were so dominated by Muslim extremists that non-Muslims could not even safely enter those communities — “no-go zones” — and that these extremists were actually setting fire to politicians. Many Dutch citizens have expressed concern about having a U.S. Ambassador who spread such completely false Islamaphobic conspiracy theories."

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

I asked an advisor of Yasser Arafat about the mention of Abu Dis in the Abbas-Berlin agreement of 1995. He wrote to me (he does not want his name mentioned): ""Abu Dis was never mentioned as an alternative to East Jerusalem; it was not even mentioned separately once, but with many other neighborhoods of Al-Quds including al-Ram, Wadi Aljoz, Shuafat, Aissawiyyah and others as being the initial areas from which the Israelis will withdraw as a first step in further withdrawals from the rest of East Jerusalem. It was also agreed that East Jerusalem will ultimately be the capital of a Palestinian state." He also added that the agreement stipulated that the text would not be published but Beilin published it any way.

As you know, he made his fortunate from contracts to feed Arab armies in the Gulf war in 1990-1991. He partnered with Khalid bin Sultan (the latter with his brother had reached agreements with Muhammad bin Salman, I am told). I asked an informed Palestinian businessman on the matter and he adds about Sabih Al-Masri: "That is true estimates between 500 to 800 MillionHe was (allegedly) bankrupt at that point. He had reached out to his close friend Khaled Shuman for help keep him afloat. Before that could be arranged Khaled ben Sultan had given him the contract to feed the BRAVE Arab Armies ( Note did not fight of course) . This was the beginning of a new life for the Masri. BTW his nephew Hani Masri ( In Washington DC and Big Clinton Supporter also (allegedly) made 50 million on this deal).This is the same Masri that (allegedly) took over the food services for the US Army in Iraq from Bassem Awadallah ( Awadallah had the company (allegedly) registered under his Uncle Mother brother to feed the US Army in Iraq : then sold to Masri once they had the candle with the Nepali employees). Masri is in partnership with another... Palestinian; Abu Alhuda Al Farouki regarding feeding US Army in Kuwait ....This is the same Masri that is a partner with Isac Rabin and Shimoan Perez and Munib Al Masri in PatTel ( Cell phone Co in the west bank) Mahmoud Abbas Sons are partners with Ehud Barak and Olmret in the 2nd Cell Co in West Bank... These are great patrons of the the Palestinian people ....This is the Same Masri that PFLP assassinated his younger brother in Nabluis in the early 80's. They are all (allegedly) corrupt beyond belief. Charity is PR work to polish their image....You can use info, but please no names... "

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

This has been one of the biggest propaganda stories in recent years in the Middle East. Just because the US government sponsored the Barzzani-Talbani tribal corrupt autocracy, and just because Israeli maintained relations with that traditional-feudal junta, Western media participated in one of the biggest schemes in media history. The story of Kurdistan was always surrounded with tons of claims of prosperity and freedom without attention to what is happening in those areas. Thomas Friedman and others would go and give a lecture at the American University of Sulaymaniyyah and comes back and tell readers how wonderful things are and that the son of Bargain (or the son of Talbani) is fluent in English. This picture is a scene of a protest in Sulaymaniyyah where people protested corruption and repression. Of course, stolen oil money paid for fancy lobbyists on K street in DC.

Look how this racist newspaper measures violence. No mention of 9 Palestinians killed and 3420 injured by Israeli gunfire.
“Since the announcement, violence in the region has escalated. There have been at least 27 rocket attacks from Gaza”.

"In practice, the British authorities drew no real distinction between combatants and civilians. The activities of Israel today bear a strong resemblance to those of Britain. As part of efforts to erect a smokescreen around its crimes in Gaza, Israel has designated that whole territory as “hostile.” "

"Caterpillar, one of the world’s biggest manufacturing companies, hired C2i, which gathered information about a grieving family that was taking legal action against the firm. A contract drawn up by Caterpillar and signed by C2i instructed that its work should be kept confidential. Corrie, 23, was crushed to death in 2003 by an Israeli military bulldozer as she protested against the demolition of Palestinian homes."

Monday, December 18, 2017

""“It’s all part of an effort to delegitimise western efforts to stabilise Syria,” said Sam Woolley, who studies computational propaganda at the University of Oxford aid."" Why can't people just let Western countries stabilize Syria? Why? That is all what Western countries ever wanted to do in the Middle East, to stabile it. Just as they stabilized the Gulf region. Is that so wrong? It is all about stabilization. Ask the Oxford University expert cited above. He can tell you.

Regarding this long piece: look. I don't know how Hizbullah finances itself (Nasrallah now publicly says that their funding is entirely from Iran), and I don't know about secret methods and operations of this party, but I have to say US/Israeli stories about Hizhbullah and drugs and surveillance of targets in the US are as unconvincing as the story or the car salesman in Texas who hired drug dealers from Mexico to kill the Saudi ambassador in DC while eating a Chinese meal. Look at this: "Hezbollah — in league with Iran — continues to undermine U.S. interests in Iraq, Syria and throughout wide swaths of Latin America and Africa". Hizbullah is active in Latin American and Africa? It is barely active in Arab countries outside of Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Also, many of those stories assume that any Shi`ite who is involved in illegal trade must be a cover for Hizbullah operations when many of the names are often loyal to Amal Movement. What makes those stories more suspicious is that not only they cite Israeli and Zionist sources exclusively, but they also only cite fanatic Zionists as experts on the stories.

"HRH Amb Prince Khalid bin Salman, along with the Coalition Ambassadors and US officials, reviews the debris from the Iranian-made Qiam ballistic missile, which targeted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by way of the Houthi militia in Yemen."

I am glad how passionate Cornel West has become on the Palestinians. It is now an essential criterion for him in judging intellectuals. But it was not always like that. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, Cornel West was very quick to denounce the PLO and accuse it of anti-Semitism, when the PLO was never guilty of anti-Semitism. He, writing in Tikkhun, once spoke of the "ugly anti-Semitism" of the PLO (Joseph Massad reminded me of this one). He also co-wrote a book with Michael Lerner of Tikkun in which I remember he also took a swipe at the Palestinians. Cornel West was an establishment figure in the 1980s and 1990s. The rise of Obama and his (first) experience at Harvard radicalized him.

I respect Creswell's knowledge of Arabic literature but on this piece:1) he notes how disappointed people have been with Adoni's stance on the Syrian uprising (count me as one) but he cites on that none other than Sadiq Jalal Al-Azm. Does he not see the irony on that? I have been disappointed with the stance of Adonis for sure, but the stance of Al-Azm has been far worse especially in his resort to sectarian language and rhetoric and his subservience to Gulf regime stances during the uprising. In fact, the political transformation of Al-Azm has been far more glaring than that of Adonis.2) He says that Adonis ("This is a topic that, unlike most Arab intellectuals of his generation, he has generally avoided") has avoided the Arab-Israeli conflict. Nothing more farther from the truth. He missed that the journal of Adonis in the late 1969, Mawaqif, basically went over the experience of Shi`r and championed the Palestinian resistance in very strong terms. There is rarely an interview or an article in Al-Hayat where Adonis has been writing in which he does not mention the Palestinian. To be sure, in the 1990s, when he was hoping for a Nobel, his stances because a bit more muted but not anymore. He is very vocal in his views on Israel.3) he does not mention that Adonis was really influenced by the Jesuit Orientalists at St. Joseph University where he earned his PhD. His PhD dissertation (subsequently published) is a lousy academic work which approaches the heritage of Arabic literature in a most dogmatic and Orientalist fashion.4) He does not mention how supporters of Syrian rebels often attacked Adonis on account of the sect in which he was born.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

The protests by Palestinians in Palestine and elsewhere inlaced chants against Muhammad bin Salman. This really angered the regime and it unleashed the Saudi Mabahith goons on social media to vomit racist anti-Palestinian trash talk. Mahmoud Abbas (the puppet) had to intervene and declare yesterday that the Saudi King assured him that the regime won't accept except (East) Jerusalem as capital of Palestine.

I resent the suggestion that A.G. Sulzberger was selected for his new post at the New York Times for any reason other than sheer talent. Nepotism didn’t enter the picture at all. This isn’t some Saudi royal dynastic rule.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Mustafa Sbayti wrote (under the influence of alcohol by his admission) a poet comment on Facebook in which he expressed his desire to "sleep with Virgin Mary". Of course, the Christian AND Muslim religious establishment called for a severe punishment of him although he quickly removed the comment and profusely apologized. He has been in jail for the last few weeks, and was released today. Here is m article on the matter: "Between the Bishop and the Poet". Naturally no one in Lebanon lifted a finger for the poet because he is a secular communist who posts Lenin's picture on his Facebook. Human Right Watch's office in Beirut--increasingly part of the Hariri coalition camp-- would have made a stink about the matter if the poet was a pro-Hariri right-winger.

From Alfred: "...Those who demonstrated outside the US Embassy in Beirut were not only secularists. More importantly to Anne Barnard, they are from organizations that are NOT listed by the US as "terrorist organizations". She wants to link those who are anti-Israel in Lebanon with Hizbullah...you know the organization that killed Americans and are called terrorists. "

For the live of me I still can't understand how Anne Barnard reported that there were Hizbullah flags. It was very clear that Hizbullah--for whatever--reasons did not want to join in the secular leftist and Arab and Syrian nationalist protest on Sunday, and held their own rally yesterday in the southern suburbs. Here are images of flags raised in the protest. Do you see any Hizbullah flags?

Under pressure from the orphans of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, i.e. Lebanese Forces and their media like LBC TV station, the Minister of Justice of Lebanon succumbed to pressures and ordered a summon for me based on...a tweet. The tweet was a "quoted tweet" in which I comment on a tweet by the Twitter page of UNIFIL in Lebanon in which it reported a high level meeting between "senior Lebanese Army officers" and Israeli occupation officers. This happened the day after the Jerusalem move by the US. I wrote: "Disgrace. Disgrace. Lebanese Army commanders meet with officers of the Israeli enemy while Arab streets are boiling with anger over Jerusalem. Let us call for disarming the Lebanese Army while keeping the arms of the resistance". (The last sentence was written as irony but some Lebanese--like Americans--don't have an appetite for irony). As you know, the Lebanese resistance movement started in 1978 by a bunch of Marxist-Leninists and later broadened to include other secular and leftist forces and later other Islamist-oreinted forces. Throughout those times, the defense of Lebanon against Israeli aggression and occupation was undertaken by those volunteers with the exception of the time when Emile Lahhud led the Lebanese Army and when he was president, and insisted that the Army be used in defense of Lebanon. I have lived in the US uninterruptedly since 1983, and yet the Lebanese Ministry of Justice can still be concerned over my tweets from California.

PS If I were a pro-Saudi right-wing Hariri writer, the story would have been picked up by all Western correspondents in Beirut and by Human Rights Watch office in Beirut. They would have raised a hue and cry over the muzzling of freedom of speech. But the views of anti-Israel leftists, are not considered worthy of protection by those people.

Monday, December 11, 2017

"WASHINGTON, March 28 - President Reagan said today that it would be ''most unwise'' for the United States to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and he strongly suggested that he would veto legislation in Congress to require such a step.

In an interview, Mr. Reagan said a bill requiring the embassy to be moved ''should never have been introduced in Congress.'' He said the disposition of Jerusalem, the West Bank of the Jordan River and other areas ''must be negotiated'' between Israel and the Arab countries. Asked if he would veto legislation on the embassy, the President said: ''I am hoping I won't have to. But like the several previous Presidents before me, I think that that is a most unwise thing.''"

The protest in front of the US embassy in Lebanon included basically and exclusively the secular Lebanese groups like the Lebanese Communist Party, the Syrian Social National Party and smaller Nasserist and Marxist-Leninist groups and organizations. As I indicated to you before, clearly Hizbullah didnot want to be there and announced that his protest will be held in the southern suburbs. This is the LCP's secretary-general, Hanna Gharib, making his speech.

Saturday, December 09, 2017

I noticed that in Jordan they chanted against Trump AND abasing Muhammad bin Salman. But they also chanted in praise of Jordanian king. Opposition and protests in Jordan can be as repugnant as the regime. I also noticed that Iraq was very vocal against the US and Israel. The entire political spectrum was united. Muqtada As-Sadr (who recently got favorable press in Gulf and naturally Western media) was most fierce in rallying the public against Israeli occupation. This image is from a protest in Baghdad. Someone should translate the article to the New York Times correspondents who wrote only two days ago that Arabs don't care about Jerusalem or Palestine anymore--because a Lebanese blogger wrote that in English.

"U.S. businessman Erik Prince – who has just been accused of trying to set up a back-channel for communications between the Trump administration and Russia – has deep Israeli connections as well, including business dealings with Ari Harow, the disgraced former bureau chief to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." "With various people now touting Prince for a Senate run (including Steve Bannon), his Israeli ties could prove significant." (thanks Amir)

Thursday, December 07, 2017

The Lebanese Communist Party and the SSNP and other progressive forces in Lebanon called for a protest in front of the US embassy in Lebanon tomorrow (just outside of Beirut). But Hasan Nasrallah today made it clear that Hizbollah is not involved in this demonstration and will be holding its own protest...in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday.

"SA: Absolutely. Yemenis are not asking the US to come and save them from Saudi Arabia. We have to be very clear about that. We’re not asking for intervention. We’re asking for them to stop this intervention, to remove themselves from this conflict, to stop interfering in the politics of Yemen and causing this egregious humanitarian suffering by helping the Saudis at all these levels." (thanks Amir)

Tarif sent me this (I cite with his permission): "Trump gives an extraordinary reason why he accepts Jerusalem as the capital of Israel: "Because it is a fact". Had he been in power in Hitler's days, would he have accepted his conquests as a "fact"? Should Lincoln have accepted the Confederacy "as a fact"? Or ought George Washington (beneath whose portrait he delivered his grotesque speech) to have accepted British dominion over America as "a fact"? History is nothing but a series of revolts against unacceptable facts. But the man is beyond any recall to sense or decency.

The tweet by Ola Al-Faris says: "Trump has not chosen the timing of the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in vain...After his visit to us it became certain that Arabs will condemn the recognition tonight while chanting the next day: Welcome, Thursday". Al-Riyadh newspaper said that MBC didn't like the insult to the Arab people. Yes, because the Saudi regime is highly respectful of the Arab people.

"A history lesson from the New York Times about how 700,000 Palestinians were uprooted from their homeland in 1948: “Amid violence by militias and mobs on both sides, huge numbers of Jews and Arabs were displaced.” And they were not kidding, mind you.

"Not knowing Arabic, NYTimes correspondents claim that there is no fury among Arabs on social media about Trump’s decision. They also claim that Palestine is not important to Arabs anymore. Their evidence? A tweet by one Lebanese blogger. Kid U not."

Abu Dis is now by order of Jared Kushner the 3rd holy Muslim site and the 1st Qiblah. Will the US government now order the relocation fo the Church of Holy Sepulchre to Abu Dis? What about the Aqsa? I am sure MbS can easily change Islamic teachings to accommodate this new US initiative.

Monday, December 04, 2017

"“The United States made a decision last night to lower taxes . We cannot lag behind in the relief we are giving our business sector regarding both taxes and reduced regulation and bureaucracy,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said just before the cabinet cleared measures aimed at trimming the red tape required to start a business."

In every turn, the Saudi governments and media underestimated the Huthis. They often mocked them as backward and uncivilized bunch, which only at every turn of the conflict made the Saudi regime look even more ridiculous.

Sunday, December 03, 2017

"The Dubai Police Happiness and Positivity Council has received certificates from Guinness World Records for forming the largest UAE flag, by arranging 143 cars in the shape of a happy face, as part of the UAE’s 46th National Day celebrations, with the participation of 17 car clubs and teams. " (thanks Basim)

A 65-year old Lebanese poet, Mustafa Sbayti, is languishing in Lebanese jail because he wrote on Facebook two weeks ago a poetic piece in which he said he wishes to "fornicate with the "virgin Mary". There was a huge storm and both Muslims (who revere Mary and Christians) condemned his statement. But that was not enough. the poet apologized and removed his comment and admitted it was written under the influence of alcohol but the Catholic Media Center (which is a medieval-style censorship powerhouse, and which declared a few years ago that anyone who dares to criticize the Maronite Patriarch will be excommunicated) call for his arrest. He was arrested and is still in jail. Today, the reactionary Greek Orthodox Bishop, Ilyas Awdah, attacked him publicly and called him a "drunk". Some Gulf media called the poet "Hizbullah", when the man is an atheist communist and he has Lenin's picture on Facebook and named his daughter Lorca and his son Fidel. Naturally, Human Rights Watch would not touch the issue because the poet in question does not belong to its right-wing camp of March 14.

Comic by Terry Furry, reproduced from "Heard the One About the Funny Leftist?" by Cris Thompson, East Bay Express

As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.

The comments that appear in the comments' section are unedited and uncensored. The thoughtful and thoughtless, sane and insane, loving and hateful, wise and unwise ideas that they contain do not represent the Angry Arab. They only represent those who write them, whoever they are.